


Talk To Me

by MamaPanda93



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: At the prison, Comforting, Fluffy, Holding Hands, M/M, Morse Code, Shy Daryl Dixon, They never had to leave, anxiety attack, gentle touching, secret touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 04:27:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14347941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MamaPanda93/pseuds/MamaPanda93
Summary: ~set at the Prison, they never had to leave.~Maggie throws a big party to announce her and Glenn’s pregnancy, everyone else is having a good time, but Daryl.Rick, even though preoccupied with everything going on around him can still pick up on the hunter’s incoming anxiety attack. Secretly under the table, with his hand on Daryl’s knee, he speaks to Daryl in morse code.Hoping to comfort the man.





	Talk To Me

**Author's Note:**

> This actually came to me as a dream and I knew I had to write it, it's nothing fancy, just wanted it written and out of my mind.

The dinner party is Maggie’s idea, she wants to surprise everyone with a big feast and the bigger news, she’s pregnant!

 

As everyone starts to show up into the common area, where they socialize and eat, she’s glowing. Eyes bright and searching the room as more of her family and friends gather around the tables.

 

She wants to make sure everyone is there before making the announcement.

 

Moments before Maggie begins to speak, Daryl slowly makes his way in and puts his head down, knowing everyone is starting at him. He stops in the middle of the room, unsure of where to sit, it is like high school all over again.

 

“Daryl!”

 

Rick smiles in his direction and pats the empty seat beside him on the bench, like he had that spot saved for him already.

 

The hunter apologizes quietly to Maggie, then shits down. A bit nervous of how close he is to Rick, since there isn’t a lot of room on these seats for everyone in the Prison.

 

“Everyone, I have something I want to share with you all...”

 

Maggie smiles so wide and clasps her hands together.

 

“I’m pregnant!”

 

Glenn almost faints, Beth is already up and hugging her older sister, both giggling like fools. Hershel slowly makes his way up to her and joins in on the hug, whispering into her ear how happy he is.

 

Everyone is hooting and hollering, slapping Glenn on the back, congratulating him that his boys can swim. Laughter and all the excitement has Daryl instantly on edge, he begins to bounce his leg anxiously. Rick must have felt it because he rests his leg against Daryl’s, hoping to somehow comfort the irritated man. It works for a bit.

 

Once everyone begins to settle down. Food gets passed back and forth, stories and baby advice is shared. It is making Daryl frustrated, he gets it though, this is good news, but how could everyone act like everything’s okay?

 

His leg must have begin to shake again because Rick rests his leg against him, this time making sure to rub it back in forth. Daryl looked at him, hiding behind his hair.

 

Rick doesn’t even notice him staring, too busy sharing a conversation with Carl across the table. Maybe he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.

 

Minutes pass and the anxiety isn’t going away and Daryl can feel the panic bubbling in his chest. Rick’s comfort stopped working awhile ago and Daryl begins to fight with himself to just get up and leave, but he can’t for some odd reason. Like a invisible force is holding him there.

 

He is about to drop a closed fist on the table and yell at everyone to shut up so he can think, but Rick’s hand falls on his knee.

 

Like he knew what he was about to do.

 

Daryl stills, blood going hot and he could swear his cheeks are red. Rick’s hand doesn’t move as he still continues talking with Carl, Daryl wonders if this is some kind of joke.

 

Then the first squeeze happens, then the next, then more. In some sort of unspoken pattern, it begins to piss Daryl off so he reaches to remove the other man’s hand off.

 

Until it hits him, the pattern. He feels like a idiot. Either Rick’s really speaking to him in morse, or Daryl’s going crazy.

 

Daryl focuses on the strong hand wrapped around his shaking knee, grounding him. Also thankful no one is talking to him so he can try to figure out what Rick is saying to him.

 

“O.K.”

 

It hits him like a brick once he realizes what Rick said to him, he’s asking if he’s okay. 

 

Daryl doesn’t know what to do in that moment, he frantically looks around the room, praying that no one else knows what’s going on. They don’t, everyone is so wrapped up either in the food, talking, or planning baby names.

 

Whatever is going on between him and Rick, is just between him and Rick.

 

Daryl takes a second to ask himself if he is truly okay and that's when he realizes his racing thoughts calmed down, anxiety fading away, and he’s starting to relax, even starts to consider eating his food instead of staring at it.

 

So he reaches over to Rick’s hand and places his on top, the other doesn’t pull away, instead lets their fingers intertwine.

 

Daryl lets out a breath he was holding in and squeezes back to say yes.

 

Then in that moment, Rick stops for a second and turns to meet Daryl’s eyes, once their eyes lock Rick gently smiles.

 

The hunter can’t help but smile softly back as he removes his own hand and begins to eat. Finally looking up at Maggie across the table from him and nodding when she looks his way.

 

Daryl isn’t much of a talker, so Maggie knows what he means by that.

 

Everything will be okay, even just for right now.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :)
> 
> ~ xoxo.


End file.
